Two of our experienced reviewers tested Teen Counseling by going through their sign-up process, attending therapy sessions, and using their additional features over the past 3 years. With TeenCounseling.com, teens (ages 13-19) can attend affordable out-of-pocket weekly video, phone, or live chat sessions. We like how easy it is to sign up for the service, the ease of messaging with your teens therapist, and how knowledgeable therapists are about adolescent mental health. Teen Counseling earned 3.5 out of 5 stars during our independent review.
Teen Counseling At a Glance
Ages Served: 13-19 years old
Cost: $260-360 monthly
Insurance Accepted? No
Teen Counseling Pros & Cons
Pros - Available in all 50 US states
- Teen has access to a personal chatroom with their therapist
- Unlimited text messaging with a therapist between sessions
- Appointments available the same day as sign-up
Cons - No insurance is accepted
- Ultimate monthly costs depend on your location and therapist’s availability
- Teens must have parent/guardian consent in order to have therapy
- No medication management is available
Who Is Teen Counseling Right For?
- Families with teenagers 13-18 that need therapy services exclusively
- Those seeking a convenient & affordable out-of-pocket option for teen therapy
- Those with a limited in-person teen therapy options in their area
Overview
Teen Counseling is a subscription-based online therapy platform for teens 13-19 years old across the US. During our independent review of their services, they earned an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. With Teen Counseling, teens can attend weekly video, phone, or live texting sessions, plus have access to messaging with their therapist between live sessions. Teen Counseling costs $260 – $360 monthly (advertised as $65 – $90 weekly), making it an affordable out-of-pocket therapy option for teens.
When I trialed Teen Counseling, I was offered a session to meet with a therapist who would be available to meet with my child. During that session, the therapist was very helpful in regards to expressing what skills they like to focus on with their patients and how they incorporate parents into that process.
While Teen Counseling is a great option for online therapy, if you are looking for therapy along with other helpful features like AI chatbots, Manatee is a great option. Another option for adolescent mental health that incorporates coaching and therapy for teens and their families is Brightline. Or, if you’re looking for psychiatry and therapy bundled together, Brightside Health is an excellent choice.
Why You Can Trust My Review
I have dedicated a considerable amount of time to researching, personally using, and reviewing online therapy platforms. I have signed up for the service , went to therapy sessions, and tested out additional features.
During the most recent independent review, Teen Counseling earned 3.5 out of 5 stars overall, performing best in the categories of geographic location, user experience, and therapist expertise. While Teen Counseling did underperform in the categories of cost, therapist, matching, and several others, we found the service helpful and engaging to benefit different types of concerns for teenagers and their families.
Review our scoring criteria for online therapy platforms here.
Review our complete editorial policies here.
First-hand Experiences with Teen Counseling
In our detailed review below we present a deep dive into Teen Counseling services, but sometimes you just want to hear a clear recommendation from somebody who’s used the service themselves. Here are our first-hand experiences using Teen Counseling.
Caitlin Bell, M.A.
Michelle Liu, MPH
Detailed Teen Counseling Review
Teen Counseling is a subscription-based online therapy platform for teens 13 – 19 years old. Teen Counseling, a BetterHelp subsidiary, offers weekly 30-minute live video, phone, or texting sessions with costs ranging from $260 – $360 monthly. A great perk for teens and their parents/guardians is the option to send messages to their therapist in between sessions and generally receive responses within 24 hours. Teen Counseling does not accept insurance.
Signing Up For Teen Counseling
Teens, or parents seeking therapy for their teen, are matched with a licensed therapist in their state usually within 24 – 48 hours of signing up. Teens can create an account by going to the Teen Counseling website or by downloading the app. From there, they will answer questions about their symptoms and what their therapist preferences are. Ultimately, a parent/guardian will have to create an account, sign consent forms, and input payment before their teen can actually receive care. While it was easy to sign up, it was confusing based on the signup process and information on the website what the role of the parent would be.
If parents/guardians wish to sign their teen up for therapy, the sign-up process is very similar to the process for teens. However, the parent/guardian will need to add their teen to the account during the sign-up process or afterward. Teen Counseling will send an email link to your teen after you add them to the account, so it is important to make sure your teen has an active email address they access regularly. Teens will be automatically matched with a therapist initially, however, if at any point they feel the match isn’t working out, they can easily change therapists and select one for themselves.
Teen Counseling Therapy & Messaging
Once a parent or guardian signs up for TeenCounseling.com, they are matched with a therapist and then can invite their child with a code that allows them to chat privately with their therapist. The therapist can communicate with the teen or their parent separately via the platform’s messaging service or live chat. With Teen Counseling’s messaging service, therapists will respond within 24 hours. If a teen would like to speak to their therapist live, the teen can decide to do a text-based therapy session, where their therapist will conduct a live text chat with them.
If a teen wants to have a video therapy session, they can have a 30-45 min video session with their therapist on the app. If the teen wants to speak with their therapist, they also have the option to have a 30-45 min phone call with their therapist.
Teens will usually attend the first live session with their parent/guardian present, so everyone can be on the same page about what to expect during the sessions. After the first session, the teen will have one-on-one sessions with just their therapist, which gives them the space to open up to the therapist. Whatever the teen says to their therapist will stay between them, with a few specific exceptions – if a teen expresses the wish to harm themselves or others or mentions any abuse or neglectful situations, the therapist will notify the correct people, including parents/guardians. The therapists are unable to give a diagnosis to the child.
Teen Counseling Journal
Much like its parent company, BetterHelp, Teen Counseling offers great extra features to help teens stay engaged in their therapy process. There is a journal space with a suggested prompt or an option to choose a prompt from a list, which is a great way to get teens to start a journaling habit. Having prompts for them to follow also gives them more direction about what to write, which can help them create a good journaling habit. These journals can be shared with their therapist or they can choose to keep them private – it is totally up to the teen.
Teen Counseling Cost & Insurance
Teen Counseling costs start at $260 – $360 billed monthly (advertised as $65-$90 weekly) with the exact upfront costs depending on your location and therapist availability. Due to the fact the exact costs for therapy are not available prior to completing the sign-up process, Teen Counseling earned 1 star in the “Online Therapy Cost” category of our scoring criteria.
A Teen Counseling subscription includes:
- Weekly 30-minute live video, phone, or texting session for your teen
- Two personal chatrooms, one for the teen and one for the parent/guardian
- Unlimited texting with the therapist at any time, with responses to be expected at least once daily
Unfortunately, Teen Counseling does not accept insurance for therapy at this time. Teen Counseling does not submit any claims on your behalf and will not provide a superbill as they cannot provide your teen with an official diagnosis. Teen Counseling, however, does offer financial aid through BetterHelp, its parent company, in some cases.
Who Does Teen Counseling Serve?
Since Teen Counseling is a subsidiary of BetterHelp, Teen Counseling is available for teens ages 13-19 in the United States and about 200 countries worldwide. Teen Counseling is intended as an option for teens experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms.
Teen Counseling treats mental health issues from 13-19. If you are looking for care for a child from 10-14, Little Otter would be a great option. If you are looking for care for an older child ages 18-24, Joon Care would be the option for you.
Teen Counseling offers financial aid through BetterHelp, its parent company, but does not accept insurance. If you are looking for an online teen therapy platform that accepts insurance, you should check out Thriveworks. For medication management alongside therapy, Brightline Therapy would be a great option to check out.
TeenCounseling.com Reviews from Users
User reviews for Teen Counseling have generally been positive. With over 4 stars on both Apple and Google Play stores, Teen Counseling has been well-reviewed by users. Overall, Teen Counseling has good ratings from both app stores. It currently has a 4.7-star rating from 4,200+ reviews in the Apple App Store and a 4.7-star rating from 1300+ reviews in the Google Play Store. Similar positive reviews can be found on both Trustpilot and Reddit.
Reviews from Apple App Store | 4.7 stars out of 5 | 4.2k reviews
- Positive reviews on the Apple App Store include finding good quality therapists on the Teen Counseling platform, easy-to-navigate therapist messaging boards, and quick contact with the customer service team.
- Negative reviews on the Apple App Store include poor customer service, poor response time from both the customer service team and therapists, and poor quality of therapists.
Reviews from the Google Play Store | 4.7 stars out of 5 | 1.32k reviews
- Positive reviews on the Google Play Store include quality therapists on Teen Counseling, reliable feedback from therapists for a teen’s health, and fast availability of appointments for families.
- Negative reviews on the Google Play Store include poor quality of therapists, poor response time from both the customer service team and therapists, and the lack of culturally diverse therapists.
Reviews from TrustPilot | 3.5 stars out of 5 | 52 reviews
- Positive reviews on Trustpilot include connecting with a strong therapist for teens, quick customer service support, and accessible sessions for families on Teen Counseling.
- Negative reviews on Trustpilot include canceled sessions on the platform, a hard-to-navigate app, and poor communication with therapists.
Reddit Reviews | r/parentingteenagers | r/asktransgender | r/depression
- Positive reviews from Reddit include that it is easy to access therapists, easy to find therapy for different topics, and convenient to schedule therapy sessions.
- Negative reviews from Reddit include poor quality of therapists available, expensive costs for poor care, and the lack of therapists on specialty topics such as LGBTQIA+ health.
Who May Want an Alternative to Teen Counseling?
While Teen Counseling is a good starting point for many, those who need longer therapy sessions, teens who need psychiatric services, and those wanting to use insurance will want to find an alternative.
Teens That Need Longer Therapy Sessions
Teen Counseling only offers 30-minute live therapy sessions at this time. Teens who need longer, more intensive therapy sessions will need to find a different online therapy platform or seek out in-person care. A great online alternative to Teen Counseling would be Joon Care, which offers 50-minute therapy sessions.
To learn about costs and which states are covered, you can read our in-depth review of Joon Care.
Teens Who Need Psychiatric Services
Currently, Teen Counseling does not offer any psychiatric services and they cannot provide prescription medications. There are some online therapy services, like Brightline Mental Health, that can provide medication management to teens.
You can learn more about how Brightline provides medication management by reading our detailed Brightline Mental Health review.
People Wanting to Use Insurance
If you want to use your insurance or your out-of-network benefits, you will want to find an alternative to Teen Counseling. You will not be able to receive a superbill from Teen Counseling and you will not be able to use your FSA/HSA card to pay for therapy. Teen Counseling does offer financial aid through BetterHelp, its parent company, in some circumstances, but not all will qualify. Talkspace for Teens will be able to provide all of this to you and you will also be able to select from three different subscriptions with Talkspace instead of the one offered by Teen Counseling.
To find out more about how their subscriptions work, you can read our in-depth Talkspace review.
Teen Counseling Vs. Competitors
Teen Counseling is a great choice for those looking for an easy and convenient way to dip a toe into the therapy world for teens and their families. Meanwhile, Manatee Health, Bend Health, and Talkspace for Teens may be better if you are seeking teen therapy that accepts insurance plans.
Price: $246 – $516 monthly (advertised as $69 – $129 weekly)
Insurance Accepted? No
-
Available in all 50 US states -
Attend weekly 30-minute live therapy sessions
-
No insurance is accepted -
Ultimate monthly costs depend on your location and the therapist’s availability
Price: $99 – $220 a session
Insurance Accepted? Yes
-
Free app with various mental health resources for kids and parents -
Services available in English and Spanish
-
Online therapy is only available in CA, CO, FL, ID, KS, NJ, and PA -
No medication management or psychiatry services offered
Cost: $199.99-$549.99 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
-
Services are provided in Spanish in addition to English -
Coaching, therapy, and medication management available
-
Out-of-pocket costs can quickly add up if insurance plan is not accepted
Price: $276-$436 monthly
Insurance Accepted? Yes
-
Major health insurance plans are accepted -
Psychiatry and teen therapy are available
-
Monthly costs vary per user -
Higher cash-pay costs than competitors within the space
Teen Counseling Vs. Manatee Health
Teen Counseling Vs. Bend Health
Teen Counseling Vs. Talkspace for Teens
Teen Counseling Review – Our Final Verdict
“Teen Counseling is worth it if you have a teen interested in therapy, particularly due to the flexibility of attending sessions online via video, through text chatting, or by phone. Teens with mild mental health symptoms are the ideal clients for this service.
Throughout our reviews of Teen Counseling we have been impressed with the ease of sign-up, open communication with the therapists, and the level of understanding the therapists have about teen-specific issues. While there is only one subscription available, we like that it offers a little bit of everything, which can help a teen begin their mental health journey. The 30-minute long sessions are also great for teens just beginning therapy. Overall Teen Counseling is a good place to start for parents/guardians and teens interested in what online therapy could do for them.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What Credentials Do Teen Counseling Therapists Hold?
Teen Counseling requires all of its providers to be accredited, trained, and experienced licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, or professional counselors. They all must be certified in the state they live in, have at least three years of experience, 1,000 hours of hands-on experience, and have successfully completed all necessary exams and training.
How Is My Teen Matched With a Therapist on Teen Counseling?
After you or your teen sign up for an account, you will answer a brief questionnaire. There are questions about what symptoms your teen is experiencing (generally anxiety and depression assessment questions) and preferences in a therapist. After you pay, it takes between 24 – 48 hours to be matched with a therapist, sometimes sooner.
Can My Teen Choose a New Therapist?
Yes, you can easily change therapists, either in the app or on the website. When you click “more” on the bottom navigation bar, you will come to the settings screen. From here you can click “Change Therapist” and begin the process of changing to someone new. My teen was very pleased with their therapist match, so we did not go through the process of finding a new one at this time.
Does Teen Counseling Offer Financial Aid?
Teen Counseling offers financial aid through BetterHelp, its parent company, in some cases. Some circumstances include being a student, having a low income, or being unemployed.
How Much Does Teen Counseling Cost?
Teen Counseling ranges from $260 – $360 monthly. The costs are not disclosed til you finish the onboarding process.
Which States Require Parental/Guardian Consent?
Each state and territory of the US has very different rulings about when parental/guardian consent is needed for the mental health care treatment of a minor. Generally speaking, teens under the age of 18 will need consent from the adult in their lives, but there are a few exceptions to this rule of thumb. In many states, teens who have been emotionally, mentally, or sexually abused can seek in-person mental health treatment without the consent of their parent/guardian.
Can I Reschedule My Therapy Session On Teen Counseling?
Teen Counseling live sessions are scheduled therapy sessions between the teen and their therapist. Users are able to reschedule by messaging their therapist on the platform through the live chat with their therapist or through Teen Counseling’s messaging section.
Can I Use My HSA/FSA for Teen Counseling?
Teen Counseling does not currently accept FSA or HSA cards to pay for therapy and will not create superbills. There is an option to apply for BetterHelp financial aid during the sign-up process.
How Do I Cancel My TeenCounseling.com Subscription?
It is very simple to cancel your Teen Counseling account in the app. Go to “more” and click on “My Account,” then scroll down to “Payment Settings.” You will see the option to “Change Membership/Quit Therapy,” simply click on this and select “Quit Therapy.”
Does Teen Counseling Issue Refunds?
Teen Counseling will offer refunds on a case-by-case basis and you can contact them at [email protected] for more information.
Can Teen Counseling Be Reimbursed By My Insurance?
Therapists on the Teen Counseling platform cannot submit claims to health insurers. However, Teen Counseling accepts HSA/FSA cards and is recognized as an eligible expense by most HSA/FSA providers.
Is TeenCounseling.com HIPAA Compliant?
BetterHelp (Teen Counseling’s parent company) has policies that are consistent with HIPAA standards, however, the company does not state that it is compliant with HIPAA regulations. Prior to any sessions (messaging or live sessions), you will be required to sign a form agreeing to their privacy policies. To read more, please visit BetterHelp’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All of the therapists on the BetterHelp platform have HIPAA obligations under their licensure. The therapists on BetterHelp also have robust requirements mandated by BetterHelp’s Data Processing Agreement. However, BetterHelp is technically not regulated by HIPAA because they are not a “covered entity” under the statute.
When people ask about HIPAA, most often they are concerned about their privacy and security. To that end, BetterHelp has implemented a robust set of privacy and security policies and technology solutions, including:
- State-of-the-art technology, operations, and infrastructure with the goal of protecting your privacy and safeguarding the information you provide
- Messages between you and your therapist are secured and encrypted by banking-grade 256-bit encryption. Additionally, you can always select the “Remove Message” button to remove messages that you’ve sent to your therapist.
- Databases are encrypted and scrambled so they essentially become useless in the unlikely event that they are stolen or compromised.
Is TeenCounseling.com Legit?
Yes, Teen Counseling is legit. It’s part of BetterHelp, a well-known telehealth therapy platform that allows communication between users and therapists in an affordable, discreet, and accessible environment. Their licensed therapists have a variety of credentials and are matched to users according to their expertise and knowledge of the user’s lived experiences.
History & News About Teen Counseling
Year Founded: 2015
Parent Company/Owner: BetterHelp
Teen Counseling is part of the BetterHelp family and was founded in 2015.1 There is not a lot of press surrounding Teen Counseling as a stand-alone platform, with much of the press being focused on BetterHelp.
BetterHelp itself optimized its marketing strategy between 2019 and 2020. BetterHelp claims that this is a standard marketing practice in the industry, however, the FTC alleges that BetterHelp should have been more clear in explaining this to its users.2
When we reached out for information on this, BetterHelp reiterated that the company “does not and has never shared with advertisers, publishers, social media platforms, or any other similar third parties, private information such as members’ names or clinical data from therapy sessions.” Additionally, BetterHelp stated that they have never received compensation for sharing data. This also applies to BetterHelp’s subsidiaries.
BetterHelp released a statement to Choosing Therapy acknowledging they have worked with the FTC to reach these resolutions to the issue:
- Updated the BetterHelp privacy policy
- Told the advertising companies that received hashed, encrypted information was to be deleted
- Ceased sharing information with other companies for advertising
- Enhanced BetterHelp’s privacy program to better protect personal health information. An independent third party is auditing BetterHelp’s program to ensure information is being protected
Anyone can visit BetterHelp’s privacy policy and Teen Counseling’s privacy policy for more details as to how BetterHelp and its subsidiaries handle user data.
Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Teen Counseling (n.d) Crunchbase. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/teen-counseling
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Neporent, L. (2023, March 6). BetterHelp mental health app faces $7.8m FTC fine for sharing private user data. Psychiatrist.com. Retrieved from: https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/Teen Counseling-mental-health-app-faces-7-8m-ftc-fine-for-sharing-private-user-data/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Michelle Liu, MPH. (No change)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (No change)
Primary Changes: Revised answer about HIPAA-compliance in FAQ to better reflect BetterHelp policy.
Author: Michelle Liu, MPH. (New Author)
Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (New Reviewer)
Primary Changes: Added new and updated content for Teen Counseling; Added first-hand experience from author; Reviewed summary and features.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No Change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No Change)
Primary Changes: Added review summary and features.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No Change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No Change)
Primary Changes: Updated costs throughout.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A. (No Change)
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D. (No Change)
Primary Changes: Reassessment of Teen Counseling; Updated cost; Updated screenshots/images; Added first-person point-of-view; style updates throughout.
Author: Caitlin Bell, M.A.
Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, M.D.
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